Question 1

Mary Nabholz travels the same way to work every day. She notices advertisements in store windows when the ads first go up. However, after a few days, Mary no longer pays any attention to these ads because they have become familiar. Which of the following personal selection factors is affecting Mary Nabholz's response to the ads?

Accepted Answer

Mary Nabholz's response to the ads is affected by adaptation, which refers to the tendency of people to pay less attention to stimuli that have become familiar or repetitive over time. This is why Mary no longer pays attention to the ads after a few days. Perceptual vigilance refers to the tendency of people to pay attention to stimuli that are relevant or important to them, while perceptual defense refers to the tendency of people to block out stimuli that are threatening or offensive. Contrast refers to the extent to which a stimulus stands out from its surroundings, which is not relevant to Mary's situation.

Question 2

Sensory marketing has proven to be largely ineffective as a marketing approach.

Accepted Answer

Sensory marketing has been found to be highly effective in increasing positive brand associations, influencing purchasing behavior, and enhancing overall customer experience. It involves engaging consumers' senses (such as sight, touch, smell, taste, and sound) to create a memorable and appealing experience, which can lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Question 3

Colors look duller to older people, which is why they prefer white and other bright tones.

Accepted Answer

As people age, the lens of the eye becomes more yellow and less able to filter out blue light. This causes colors to appear less vibrant and more muted, which can make bright colors like white and pastels more appealing.

Question 4

Which of the following most accurately reflects the current thinking about the use of subliminal perception in marketing promotion and advertising?

Accepted Answer

While there is some evidence that subliminal perception can have limited effects, these effects are not specific enough to make subliminal messages effective in advertising. Additionally, there are ethical concerns surrounding the use of subliminal messaging, which further limits its use in marketing promotion and advertising.

Question 5

One of the principles of psychophysics is that changes in the physical environment are not always matched by equal changes perceptually. If Madison Wilson were creating a new drink, what would psychophysics tell her?

Accepted Answer

Psychophysics tells us that changes in the physical environment (in this case, the amount of sugar in the drink) may not be perceived equally by individuals. Therefore, Madison Wilson would need to research how the perception of "sweetness" changes as she adds more sugar to the drink, in order to create a drink that is consistently perceived as "sweet" by her customers.

Question 6

A behavioral researcher studying how consumers use multi-sensory, fantasy, and emotional factors in selecting products is studying hedonic consumption.

Accepted Answer

Hedonic consumption refers to the use of multi-sensory, fantasy, and emotional factors in selecting products for their experiential value, rather than just their utilitarian value.

Question 7

All consumers carry schemata in their minds when they enter the marketplace. According to the principles of perceptual vigilance and defense, a marketer should be careful to create a promotion for the new product that ________.

Accepted Answer

Perceptual vigilance and defense refer to the phenomenon in which consumers are more likely to notice stimuli that relate to their existing beliefs, attitudes, and values. If a marketer creates a promotion for a new product that conforms to the customers' schemata, it is more likely to be noticed and accepted by the customers. Violating their schemata may cause confusion or rejection, while requiring them to defend their current views may create cognitive dissonance or a negative attitude towards the product. A promotion that is simple and easy to understand is always desirable, but it does not directly address the principles of perceptual vigilance and defense.

Question 8

A common practice among advertisers is to create new relationships between objects and interpretants by inventing new connections between products and benefits. How would a marketer use hyperreality to find a new use for baking soda?

Accepted Answer

To use hyperreality, the marketer would invent a new connection between baking soda and a fictional character called Simon Soda. This would create a hyperreal experience for consumers where they associate the product with a completely made-up entity, which could make it more appealing or interesting to them.

Question 9

A retailer decides to reduce the price of a sport coat that normally costs $98. The reduction in price is $3. The storeowner believes that the reduction will catch the eye of the value shopper. If the sport coat does not sell, the retailer might wish to consider which of the following before making another price change?

Accepted Answer

Weber's law states that the noticeable difference between two stimuli is proportional to the magnitude of the stimuli. In this case, the reduction in price was only $3 out of a price of $98 which may not be perceived as a significant enough difference to attract customers. Therefore, before making another price change, the retailer should consider a bigger reduction in price that would satisfy Weber's law and be more noticeable to customers.

Question 10

Which of the following is most relevant to a company that wants to position a new brand on price leadership?

Accepted Answer

Weber's Law states that the ability to perceive a difference in stimuli depends on the intensity of the original stimuli. In the context of pricing, this means that consumers are more sensitive to changes in the price of lower-priced products compared to higher-priced products. Therefore, understanding this law is crucial for a company that wants to position a new brand on price leadership.

Question 11

As people's incomes rise, they are more likely to prefer additional experiences over additional possessions.

Accepted Answer

Multiple studies have shown that as people's incomes increase, they tend to place more value on experiences such as travel, dining out, or attending events, rather than accumulating more possessions. This is because experiences often provide a greater sense of fulfillment and happiness compared to material items.

Question 12

Fragrance is processed by the limbic system, the most primitive part of the brain and the place where immediate emotions are experienced.

Accepted Answer

Fragrance is processed by the limbic system, which is responsible for emotions and memory, making scent a powerful tool for triggering memories and emotions.

Question 13

The first step in the perception process is exposure to a stimulus. Without exposure, there would be no perception.

Accepted Answer

Exposure to a stimulus is indeed the first step in the perception process.

Question 14

Jason and Mark were talking in class, but so was everyone else. As they continued to discuss their day's adventures, it suddenly became clear to them that the teacher was staring at them. They didn't realize that the class had been called to order and what was once only one conversation among many was now disruptive. Jason apologized quickly, and the teacher resumed her normal activities. This is a good example of how a consumer's ability to detect a difference between two stimuli is ________.

Accepted Answer

This scenario illustrates relative threshold, which is the level of strength a stimulus must reach in order for it to be perceived as different from another stimulus. In this case, the level of background noise (conversations among students) was high, making it difficult for the teacher to detect the specific conversation that was disruptive. Once the noise level decreased (i.e. class was called to order), the teacher was able to perceive the difference between the disruptive conversation and the rest of the ambient noise.

Question 15

Interpretation is the last stage of the perceptual process.

Accepted Answer

Interpretation is the last stage of the perceptual process where individuals make sense or meaning of the stimuli they have perceived.

Question 16

Unlike computers, people do not passively process whatever information happens to be present.

Accepted Answer

People actively engage with and interpret information, making decisions and employing critical thinking skills. Computers simply execute commands and processes predetermined by programmers.

Question 17

Which of the following comes closest in characterizing the concept of hedonic consumption?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following comes closest in...

Question 18

Some color combinations can become so associated with a company that the corporation may be granted exclusive use of these colors.

Accepted Answer

This is known as a "trademarked color" and it can be legally protected. Examples include Tiffany & Co.'s use of "Tiffany Blue" and UPS's use of "Pullman Brown."

Question 19

In the past, ketchup formed an unbecoming "scum" on its surface when exposed to air, so manufacturers created the traditionally shaped ketchup bottle with the narrow opening. When chemicals were developed to reduce this oxidation, it was then possible to sell ketchup in more conveniently shaped containers. Customers, however, rejected bottles that didn't have the traditional ketchup shape. This is an example of the power of ________ in the marketplace.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of the power of schema in the marketplace. Schema refers to a mental framework or set of expectations that people have about certain products, including their appearance, packaging, and use. In this case, customers had a schema for what a ketchup bottle should look like, and rejected bottles that didn't fit that schema, even though they may have been more convenient.

Question 20

Perception refers to the immediate response of our sensory receptors to such basic stimuli as light, color, and sound.

Accepted Answer

Perception is not the immediate response of our sensory receptors to basic stimuli, but rather the interpretation of these stimuli by our brain.

Quiz 5: Perception